Gabriel "Sylar" Gray
Gabriel Gray (or Sylar, which he got from his watch) was a casual watchmaker until he was visited by Chandra Suresh who identified him as Patient Zero, and revealed advanced humans to him. From there on, Sylar became a serial killer, by examining other advanced human's brains to get their ability, which kills them in the process. More recently Angela Petrelli helped him back down a steady path to stop him killing and apparently no longer needs to kill to receive other advanced human's powers, just by connecting with a certain level of Empathy. It did not last, as he was once again succumbed to "the hunger". History The name "Sylar" first appeared on a cassette tape in "Genesis", the first episode. He is not mentioned verbally until the next episode, "Don't Look Back." Sylar is stated to be a suspected serial killer. His perceived victims are sometimes seen with their heads sliced open horizontally at the center of their skull and lacking their brains. Sylar knew the late Chandra Suresh, before he died. Chandra told his son, Mohinder, that he thought that Sylar was "Patient Zero". In a taped phone call between Chandra and Sylar, the latter alludes that the former "made him this way" (aware of his powers) and refers to a mysterious "uncontrollable hunger" he now has. Chandra wanted nothing to do with Sylar at this point. .]] In the third episode, Mohinder and a friend, Eden, broke into an apartment believed to be Sylar's. Inside, Eden noted that there were no photographs in the apartment, but plenty of books on philosophy and a copy of Chandra Suresh's book. Mohinder took pictures of the apartment, his father's book on a bureau, books on the shelves, and a book in a glass case. He stumbled upon a secret room behind the glass case. Inside was a map similar to one used by the Suresh's, but with many more connections and papers linked to several of them. Eden identified Nathan Petrelli on one of the links. Mohinder found another room in the secret area covered by vinyl tarps. Inside, the walls were covered in scrawls, some seemingly written in blood, including, "FORGIVE ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED." Mohinder fetched police officers to show them the apartment. By the time they returned, the apartment had been cleaned out. In the very next scene, a man in a baseball hat believed to be Sylar went after Molly Walker, the daughter of a couple Sylar is believed to have slaughtered. Matt Parkman and an FBI agent named Audrey Hanson stopped him, with Matt protecting Molly and Audrey giving chase. When Audrey pulled her gun, the man somehow forced her backwards against a wall and made her point her own weapon to her head without making physical contact with her. When Matt arrived, he shot at the unknown man. However, when Matt turned to check on Audrey, the man moved back upright, and the bullets which hit him fell to the ground. As Matt and Audrey looked back, the man appeared to disappear upwards out of frame. In "Hiros," a stylized image of the shadowy man in the baseball cap was found on a painting in Isaac's apartment. When Peter finished the painting, the man was standing over the mutilated body of a cheerleader, presumably Claire Bennet. Currently Sylar is searching for his biological father Samson Gray. Along the way he encounters a young man being hunted by Nathan Petrelli and The Hunter's agents by the name of Luke. Luke has the ability to project microwave radiation from his hands similar to Theodore "Ted" Sprauge and information about Sylar's father. It is unknown if the radiation manipulation Sylar used in "I AM BECOME DEATH" is Lukes power yet. In the most recent episode, "EXPOSED" it shows a flashback of Sylar. Within the Flashback, it showed him as a child with his Father in a Big Jim's diner in 1980. He looked to be between the ages of 7 and 9 which would put him between the ages of 35 and 37. Portrayer *There was a persistent rumor claiming that Sean Bean would be playing Sylar, though this was highly disputed. The role was eventually revealed as being played by Zachary Quinto. Quinto also plays Spock in the upcoming 2009 Star Trek feature film. Birth of a Sylar According to a news clipping on Sylar's wall, a "Paul E. Sylar" was born on June 11, 1962. This would make that man 44 in 2006. Whether or not this Sylar is the same as the above mentioned character has not been verified. It's more accurate to say he invented the name himself in the episode "Six Months Ago" as he repaired a watch before the arrival of his first victim in his watch-repair shop. He later on wears that specific broken watch sharing his nick-name. Advanced Human Abilities His original power was intuitive aptitude, which is the ability to understand how things worked from merevisual study. From this he exposes the brain of other advanced humans to find out how their power works and "steals" it, although this process is typically fatal. In It's Coming, he was able to take Elle Bishop's power of Electric Manipulation without physically harming her by using some "empathy". So far, Sylar has posessed the following powers: * Telekinesis - taken from Brian Davis (Six Months Ago) retained even after Shanti Virus * Cryokinesis - taken from James Walker (Don't Look Back) lost to Shanti Virus * Liquification - taken from Zane Taylor (Run!)lost to shanti virus * Superhuman Hearing - taken from Dale Smither (Unexpected)lost to Shanti Virus * Precognition - taken from Isaac Mendez (.07%) lost to Shanti Virus * Radiation Manipulation - taken from Ted Sprague (Landslide) lost to Shanti Virus * Eidetic Memory - taken from Charlie Andrews (Seven Minutes to Midnight) lost to Shanti Virus * Illusion, the ability to create images in people's minds, taken from Candice Wilmer Sylar was never actually able to use this ability due to the effects of the Shanti Virus * Rapid Cellular Regeneration - taken from Claire Bennet (The Second Coming) * Chrysopoeia - taken from Bob Bishop (The Butterfly Effect) * Sound manipulation - taken from Jesse Murphy (One of Us, One of Them) * Electric Manipulation - taken from Elle Bishop without killing her (It's Coming) * Lie detection - taken from Sue Landers (Our Father) * Psychometry - taken from Bridget Bailey (One of Us, One of Them) In the episode "Five Years Gone", set 5 years in the future, Sylar also demonstrates the following powers: * The ability to phase through solid objects (possibly D.L. Hawkins) *Illusion, the ability to create images in people's minds, (taken from Candace Wilmer). *Flight, Nathan In the episode "I Am Become Death", Sylar also demonstrates the following powers: *Psychometry, Notes * Sylar is also shown removing the top of Charlie Andrews's head, though this is not demonstrated on screen. However, due to the actions of Hiro Nakamura, Sylar may not have gained this ability, therefore he couldn't memorize the location list of the other Advanced Humans. Notes and references Gray, Gabriel Gray, Gabriel Gray, Gabriel Gray, Gabriel